Info for first-time visitors

Currency

Exchange services are available at financial institutions throughout the city. You’ll also find ATMs at the airport and ferry terminals. U.S. currency is not widely accepted in Nanaimo. Today’s exchange rate

Taxes

As of July 2010 in B.C., the federal 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the 7% Provincial Sales Tax (PST) are now a 12% Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). HST applies to almost all goods and services including retail, restaurants, attractions and tours, some of which were previously PST-exempt.

Alcoholic Beverages

B.C. law prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 19. The province’s impaired driving laws, with blood-alcohol content limits of 0.05, are the toughest in the country.

Average Temperatures in Nanaimo

Month

Maximum temperature C (F)

Minimum temperature C (F)

January

6.2° (43°)

-0.8° (32°)

March

10.9° (52°)

1.3° (34°)

May

17.8° (64°)

6.7° (44°)

July

24° (75°)

11.8° (53°)

September

20.9° (70°)

8.6° (47°)

November

9.1° (48°)

1.5° (35°)

Just how big is Vancouver Island?

Vancouver Island’s size, 32,261 sq. km. (19,356 sq. mi.), comes as a surprise to first-time visitors expecting to tour it all in a weekend. The drive from Victoria in the south to Port Hardy in the north is 502 km (312 mi).

Quick Facts

Population: City of Nanaimo 78,874; Regional District of Nanaimo 137,580

Location: On east side
of Vancouver Island, 48.3 km (30 mi, 26.1 nautical mi)
west of Vancouver and 113 km (70 mi) north of Victoria.